Kosher Press In Your Inbox

Enforcement officials at the Environmental Protection Ministry claimed that improper handling of 2,000 lithium batteries by the IDF led to a fire at a warehouse that held explosive material at the Sirkin army base in Petah Tikva – releasing poisonous gases in the air.

The fire occurred last month at a compound belonging to an elite IDF unit and the army is still investigating the case.

Firefighters took control of the fire that broke out last month but odors from the burnt explosive material reportedly reached the adjacent neighborhoods and got as far as Route 6. “Lithium batteries are sensitive to moisture and during a fire toxic gases are released into the atmosphere,” said the industrial manager of the Environmental Protection Ministry, Roi Tal, in a summons for a hearing sent to the IDF safety administration manager. “The safety officer at the base indicated to me immediately after the event that the batteries were stored in open garbage cans under the shade, next to some warehouses – one of them housing explosive material. According to him, the used batteries were storied for the past year – year and a half. The location is near the fence of the base and adjacent to a residential neighborhood.” Sources within the Environmental Protection Ministry claim that they warned against the storage of the lithium batteries at the Sirkin base for years, but the army ignored the warnings. According to the ministry, the storage risked the health of the public: “Contact with water causes the lithium to flare, and the batteries were set on fire after they were wet from the rain. As a result, poisonous gas was released into the air. The batteries were covered in dirt in order to put out the fire – causing pollution to land and groundwater.” The IDF Spokesman said: “A van from the Environmental Protection Ministry arrived at the scene of the incident and determined that there was no danger as a result of the fire. The event will be investigated by the Environmental Protection Ministry, and evacuation of the batteries from the compound will begin soon by a civilian company that specializes on the matter.” IDF sources added, “The IDF is working on finding a professional solution to take care of the evacuation of the land by guidelines of taking care of lithium batteries, sifting the soil and so on.”

Deputy Minister of the Environmental Protection Ministry, MK Ofir Akunis, added: “It is time that the IDF also understands that protecting the environment means protecting the health of soldiers and citizens. We cannot continue to rely on luck and that by a miracle no soldier or citizen will be harmed. Prolonged malpractice of the environment and the quality of air at the base endangers the soldiers.”